It may be that you hate something when it is good for you and it may be that you love something when it is bad for you. Allah knows and you do not know. (Surat al-Baqara: 216)

One should beg one's Lord with a will and full devotion,for there is nothing in the eye of Allah which He cannot grant. (Muslim)

MIRACLES OF THE QUR'AN

THE COMING OF THE UNIVERSE INTO EXISTENCE

Until the mid-20th century, the prevalent view across the world was that the universe was infinite, had existed forever and that it will continue to do so for all time. According to this view, known as the “static universe model,” the universe had no end or beginning.

In maintaining that the universe is a collection of fixed, static and unchanging substances, this view has constituted the basis of materialist philosophy and has consequently rejected the existence of a Creator. However, as science and technology progressed during the 20th century, the static universe model has been completely uprooted.

We have now entered the 21st century and a new dawn is upon us. Through numerous experiments, observations and calculation conducted by some of the world’s most prominent thinkers, modern physics has proven that the universe did indeed have a beginning, that it came into being from nothing in a single moment in a huge explosion. Furthermore, it has been established that the universe is not fixed and static, as materialists still stubbornly maintain. On the contrary, it is undergoing a constant process of movement, change and expansion. These recently-established facts all act as nails in the coffin of the static universe theory. Today, all these facts are universally accepted by the scientific community.

The origin of the universe is described in the Qur'an in the following verse:

He is the Originator of the heavens and the earth. (Qur'an, 6:101)

This information is in full agreement with the findings of contemporary scientists. As we stated earlier, the conclusion that astrophysics has reached today is that the entire universe, together with the dimensions of matter and time, came into existence as a result of a great explosion that occurred a long time ago. This event, known as "The Big Bang," is the catalyst for the creation of the universe from nothingness. This explosion, all parties in the scientific community agree, emanated from a single point some 15 billion years ago. (See Harun Yahya, The Creation of the Universe, Al-Attique Publishers Inc. Canada, 2000)

The sensitive sensors on board the COBE space satellite, launched by NASA in 1992, captured evidentiary remnants of the Big Bang. This discovery served as evidence for the Big Bang, which is the scientific explanation of the fact that the universe was created from nothing.

Before the Big Bang, there was no such thing as matter. From a condition of non-existence in which neither matter, nor energy, nor even time existed—and which can only be described metaphysically—matter, energy, and time were all created in an instant. This fact, only recently discovered by modern physics, was announced to us in the Qur'an 1,400 years ago. (For further reference, please see, Miracles of the Qur'an, by Harun Yahya)

THE END TIMES AND THE MAHDI

THE SIGNS OF THE LAST DAY IN THE QUR'AN

The splitting of the moon

The 54th Surah of the Qur'an is called 'Surat al-Qamar.' In English qamar means moon. In several instances, this Surah tells about the destruction that befell the people of Nuh, Ad, Thamud, Lut and Pharaoh, because they rejected the warnings of the prophets. At the same time, there is a very important message stated in the first verse, concerning the Last Day.

The Hour has drawn near and the moon has split. (Surat al-Qamar: 1)

The word 'split' used in this verse is the Arabic shaqqa, which in Arabic it has various meanings. In some commentaries on the Qur'an, the meaning 'split' is preferred. But shaqqa in Arabic can also mean 'ploughing' or 'digging' the earth.

As an example of the first usage, we can refer to the 26th verse of Surat al-Abasa:

We pour down plentiful water, then split the earth into furrows. Then We make grain grow in it, and grapes and herbs and olives and dates. (Surah 'Abasa: 25-29)

It can be clearly seen that the meaning of shaqqa here is not to 'split.' It means to plough the earth in order to grow various plants.

If we went back to the year 1969, we would see one of the great wonders of the Qur'an. The experiments carried out on the surface of the moon on July 20, 1969, may be hinting at the fulfilment of news given 1,400 years ago in Surat al-Qamar. On that date, American astronauts set foot on the moon. Digging at the lunar soil they carried out scientific experiments and collected samples of stones and soil. It is surely very interesting that these developments are in complete agreement with the statements in the verse.

The signs described by the Prophet (saas) are occurring one after the other

In the hadiths that have come down to us from the Prophet (saas), news is given concerning the End Times and the Golden Age of Islam. When we compare these signs with the events that are taking place in our time, we can see many indications that we are living through the End Times and which also herald the arrival of the Golden Age of Islam.

The hadiths used in the coming days of this section contain such information given by the Prophet (saas) in this regard.

At this point, there may arise some doubt in the reader in regards to the truth and authenticity of these hadiths about the end. There is a method to distinguish those that are true from those that are false. As we know, hadiths about the Doomsday relate to events that are to take place in the future. For this reason, when a hadith comes true in the course of time, all doubt as to the source of the words is removed.

Several Islamic scholars who conducted research on the subject of the End Times and of the signs of the Last Day have used this criterion. An expert on the subject, Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, said that the fact that the hadiths concerning the End Times correspond to events observed in our day shows the truth of the hadiths. 1

Some of the signs related in the hadiths were observable in some part of the world in any period during the 1400 year history of Islam, but that would not have proven that that period was the the End Times. For a certain period to be called the End Times, all the signs of the Last Day must be observed to be occurrence in that same period. This is expressed in a hadith:

Signs following one another like the pieces of a necklace falling one after the other when its string is cut. (Tirmidhi)

In the hadiths, the beginning of the End Times is described as when discord grows, and war and conflict are on the increase, when there is chaos and moral degeneration rears its head and people turn away from the morality of religion. At the time in question, natural disasters will occur all over the world, poverty will reach unseen levels, there will be a large increase in the crime rate, and murder and brutality everywhere.

Yet this will be only the first stage. During the second phase, Allah will rescue mankind from this chaos and replace it with a blessed existence full of plenty, peace and security. (For further reference, please see,The End Times and the Mahdi, by Harun Yahya)

When Darwin put forward his theory in the middle of the nineteenth century, he never mentioned how the origin of life, in other words the first living cell, came to be. Scientists looking for the origin of life at the beginning of the twentieth century began to realise that the theory was invalid. The complex and perfect structure in life prepared the ground for many researchers to perceive the truth of creation. Mathematical calculations and scientific experiment and observation demonstrated that life could not be the "product of chance," as the theory of evolution claimed.

With the collapse of the claim that coincidence was responsible and the realisation that life was "planned," some scientists began to look for the origin of life in outer space. The best-known of the scientists who made such claims were Fred Hoyle and Chandra Wickramasinghe. These two cobbled together a scenario in which they proposed that there was a force which "seeded" life in space. According to the scenario, these seeds were carried through the emptiness of space by gas or dust clouds, or else by an asteroid, and eventually reached the Earth, and life thus started here.

Nobel Prize–winner Francis Crick, co-discoverer with James Watson of the double helix structure of DNA, is one of those who has sought the origin of life in outer space. Crick came to realise that it is quite unreasonable to expect life to have started by chance, but he has claimed instead that life on Earth was started by intelligent "extraterrestrial" powers.

As we have seen, the idea that life came from outer space has influenced prominent scientists. The matter is now even discussed in writings and debates on the origin of life. The idea of looking for the origin of life in outer space can be considered from two basic perspectives.

Scientific inconsistency

It is not possible for meteors to carry a living organism to Earth because of the intense heat generated when they enter the atmosphere and the violence of impact when they land. Above: A large meteor crater in Arizona. Even if we accept there are living things in outer space, it is still impossible to account for their origins in any other way than through creation.

The key to evaluating the "life began in outer space" thesis lies in studying the meteorites that reached the Earth and the clouds of gas and dust existing in space. No evidence has yet been found to support the claim that celestial bodies contained non-earthly creatures that eventually seeded life on Earth. No research that has been carried out so far has revealed any of the complex macromolecules that appear in life forms.

Furthermore, the substances contained in meteorites do not possess a certain kind of asymmetry found in the macromolecules that constitute life. For instance, amino acids, which make up proteins, which are themselves the basic building blocks of life, should theoretically occur as both left- and right-handed forms ("optical isomers") in roughly equal numbers. However, only left-handed amino acids are found in proteins, whereas this asymmetric distribution does not occur among the small organic molecules (the carbon-based molecules found in living things) discovered in meteorites. The latter exist in both left- and right-handed forms.1

That is by no means the end of the obstacles to the thesis that bodies and substances in outer space gave rise to life on Earth. Those who maintain such an idea need to be able to explain why such a process is not happening now, because the Earth is still being bombarded by meteorites. However, study of these meteorites has not revealed any "seeding" to confirm the thesis in any way.

Another question confronting the defenders of the thesis is this: Even if it is accepted that life was formed by a consciousness in outer space, and that it somehow reached Earth, how did the millions of species on Earth come about? That is a huge dilemma for those who suggest that life began in space.

Alongside all of these obstacles, no trace has been found in the universe of a civilisation or life form that could have started life on Earth. No astronomical observations, which have picked up enormous speed in the last 30 years, have given any indication of the presence of such a civilisation.

What lies behind the "extraterrestrial" thesis?

EVOLUTIONISTS' "EXTRATERRESTRIAL" DILEMMA Claims that the origin of life could lie in space, or even "extraterrestrials," are nothing more than science fiction. No concrete evidence can be supplied to back them up, and news and comments on the subject just consist of speculation that "it could have happened." In fact, these scenarios are quite impossible. Even if we assume that some organic compounds were carried to Earth by meteors, it is a chemical, physical, and mathematical fact that these compounds could not have given rise to life by themselves. The fantasy that life on Earth could have been created by "extraterrestrials" is a ploy by means of which evolutionists try to avoid admitting the existence of God, since life cannot be explained by chance. But this is totally meaningless, too, because the "extraterrestrial" thesis just takes the question one step back, and leads to the question: "Who created the extraterrestrials?" Reason and science lead us to an Absolute Being who created us and all living things, though He Himself was not created and has existed forever. That means God, the Creator of everything.

As we have seen, the theory that life on Earth was begun by extraterrestrials has no scientific basis to it. No discoveries have been made to confirm or support it. However, when the scientists who put forward the suggestion began to look in that direction, they did so because they perceived one important truth.

The truth in question is that a theory that seeks to explain life on Earth as being the result of chance is no longer tenable. It has been realised that the complexity revealed in the life forms on Earth can only be the product of intelligent design. In fact, the areas of expertise of the scientists who sought the origin of life in outer space give a clue as to their rejection of the logic of the theory of evolution.

Both are world-renowned scientists: Fred Hoyle is an astronomer and bio-mathematician, and Francis Crick a molecular biologist.

One point which needs to be considered is that those scientists who look to outer space to find the origin of life do not actually make any new interpretation of the matter. Scientists such as Hoyle, Wickramasinghe, and Crick began to consider the possibility that life came from space because they realised that life could not have come about by chance. Since it was impossible for life on Earth to have begun by chance, they had to accept the existence of a source of intelligent design in outer space.

However, the theory put forward by them on the subject of the origin of this intelligent design is contradictory and meaningless. Modern physics and astronomy have revealed that our universe originated as a result of a huge explosion some 12-15 billion years ago known as "The Big Bang." All matter in the universe came about from that explosion. For this reason, any idea that seeks the origin of life on Earth in another matterbased life form in the universe has to explain in turn how that form of life came into existence. The meaning of this is that such a suggestion does not actually solve the problem, but takes it one step further back. (For more detail, see Harun Yahya's booksThe Creation of the Universe and Timelessness and The Reality of Fate).

As we have seen, the thesis that "life came from outer space" does not support evolution, but is a view that reveals the impossibility of evolution and accepts that there can be no other explanation for life than intelligent design. The scientists who suggested this began with a correct analysis but then went down a false road, and started the silly search for the origin of life in outer space.

It is obvious that the concept of "extraterrestrials" cannot account for the origin of life. Even if we accept for one moment the hypothesis that "extraterrestrials" actually exist, it is still clear that they could not have come into being by chance, but must themselves be the product of intelligent design. (That is because the laws of physics and chemistry are the same everywhere in the universe, and they make it impossible for life to emerge by chance.) This shows that God, Who is beyond matter and time, and possesses infinite might, wisdom, and knowledge, created the universe and everything in it. (For further reading, see “The collapse of the theory of evolution in 20 questions” by Harun Yahya)

1. Massimo Pigliucci, Rationalists of East Tennessee Book Club Discussion, October 1997

NAMES OF ALLAH

AL-‘AFUWThe Pardoner

Whether you reveal a good act or keep it hidden, or pardon an evil act, Allah is Ever-Pardoning, All-Powerful. (Surat an-Nisa’, 4:149)

People are fallible beings who may at any time think erroneously, make a wrong decision, or display a flawed attitude. But Allah, Who created humanity and is fully aware of these mistakes, forgives them. If He were not so forgiving, no soul would ever attain Paradise. Indeed, Allah calls attention to this fact, as follows:

If Allah were to punish people for their wrong actions, not a single creature would be left upon Earth, but He defers them until a predetermined time. When their specified time arrives, they cannot delay it for a single hour or bring it forward. (Surat an-Nahl, 16:61)

Yet we need to remember that Allah only forgives His sincere servants who turn to Him inA repentance. Thus, those desiring His forgiveness must be sincere and resolute in their repentance. Allah makes it clear that He will not forgive those who repent but then return to their former ways without feeling any true regret. In one verse, Allah states the following:

Allah only accepts the repentance of those who do evil in ignorance and then quickly repent after doing it. Allah turns toward such people. Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise. (Surat an-Nisa’, 4:17)

In the verse "You who believe! Heed Allah, seek the means of drawing near to Him, and strive in His Way, so that hopefully you will be successful" (Surat al-Ma’ida: 35), Allah invites people to seek ways to get close to Him. Hence, the believers’ most important target is to conform to what Allah invites people to and to strive to be His nearest servant. The believers take the Prophets as their models, for the Prophets’ nearness to Allah comes from their sincerity, heedfulness, righteousness, and the strong awe and love that they feel for Him.

In the verse "So We forgave him for that, and he has nearness to Us and a good Homecoming" (Surah Sad, 25), Prophet Dawud’s (as) nearness to Allah is given as a model for all believers. Anyone who takes the Prophets’ virtuous character and sincerity as their model may hope to attain their closeness to Allah by being in awe of Him as Prophets are, accurately fulfilling the Qur’an’s commands, and dedicating their lives to earning His good pleasure. It should also be noted that one can get closer to Allah in only a few seconds by even one sincere intention to do so, for Allah is close to all men and women and answers His servants’ calls.

ARE OUR PRAYERS FOR OTHER PEOPLE OF ANY USE?

In the verse "Your Lord says: ‘Call on Me and I will answer you. Those who are too proud to worship Me will enter Hell abject’" (Surah Ghafir, 60), Allah invites all people to pray and says that He will answer their calls. Therefore, if someone prays for someone else, it will benefit them, if Allah wills. In another verse, Allah tells the Prophet (saas) to pray for other believers, as follows:

Each believer desires that all other believers earn Allah’s good pleasure and Paradise, and has the same hope for himself or herself. Hence, they pray for their fellow believers at least as much as they do for themselves. Yet whether the prayer is accepted or not, and how it is answered, is completely in Allah’s hands. If He wills, He answers that prayer in a different way for a certain purpose and a better cause.

Prophet Muhammad (saas) says in one hadith: "A prayer by a Muslim for his brother (or sister) in his absence is always answered. An angel stands close to him who is assigned a special task. Every time he (she) says a good prayer for his brother (or sister), the angel says: ‘Amen, and may Allah grant you the same.’" (Al-Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud)

Mischief has appeared on land and sea because of (the meed) that the hands of men have earned that (Allah) may give them a taste of some of their deeds; in order that they may turn back (from Evil). (Surat ar-Rum: 41)

In this book, you will see that only living by the moral values of the Qur'an in the real sense will put an end to all forms of cruelty, that is, of hunger, misery, war and degeneracy in the world.

This book relates how the morals of the Qur'an will provide solutions to all the wickedness, injustice, poverty, injustice, terror, hunger and misery prevailing in the world, and provides examples from every corner of the earth. It deals with many subjects from the moral degeneracy pervading America and Russia, to the cruelty inflicted on people in Chechnya and Kosova, from murder to hunger, from the merciless and disrespectful treatment the elderly receive to the evil of racism, and explains how living by the moral values of the Qur'an brings effective solutions to all of these. The quotation below is taken from the back cover of the book:

"Around the globe the majority of people are oppressed. They are tortured, butchered, live in abject poverty, are homeless, forced to live their lives unprotected from the elements and face disease without adequate medical care. There are those who cannot afford even a loaf of bread. There are the elderly who face neglect, abandonment and denied health care. Then there are those who face discrimination, massacre, expulsion from their homes and lands simply because of their ethnicity, language, race or tribe. There are helpless, malnourished, defenseless and innocent children forced to work or beg for money.. …"

It is essential that we all listen to the voice of our conscience to rescue these people, and to make the world a place of justice, peace, security, prosperity and well-being. The only way to be conscientious is to have faith. Consequently, there is only one solution to the injustice, chaos, terror, massacre, hunger, poverty, and oppression: The Morals of the Qur'an.

From the expansional rate of the Universe to the location of Earth in the Solar System, from percengates of athmospheric gases to properties of sunlight, innumerous equilibriums are sustained each second and each hour. Not even one of these arrangements may occur by chance. All obey the infallible wisdom of God exhibiting His might and art.This web site displays the evidence for the creation of the Universe and it reveals the eternal might and wisdom of God, who created this great universe from nothingness. Visit the site >>